The present invention relates to a game machine for a ball game and, in particular, to a game machine for a baseball-related game.
When a game machine that enables a ball game such as a baseball or soccer game is provided in today""s city environment, the area in which the game machine is installed is limited. For that reason, it is important to provide a game machine that can enable an agreeable real-life ball game within a limited area, with no feeling of strangeness.
For baseball there are batting centers and for tennis there are tennis courts. However, games like these that approximate to real-life ball games lack interest so that most games centers prefer not to provide facilities that require a large dedicated area, such as batting centers or tennis courts, for business reasons.
That is why, if a baseball-related game is provided in a conventional game center, by way of example, it is a baseball-related game in which a predetermined batting area is provided and the area from the ball supply device to the batting area is bounded by a cage to ensure safety.
However, baseball-related games that are provided in batting centers and conventional game centers simply enable players to hit balls, so they lack interest.
A particular problem lies in the fact that it is necessary to provide batting areas for both right-handed players and left-handed players in a ball game that involves batting, such as baseball, which increases the area required therefor. It is also necessary to provide an interesting game, even when the necessary area is small.
The present invention was devised in the light of the above described problems and has as an objective thereof the provision of a game machine that enables an enjoyable ball game within a limited space, particularly a baseball-related game.
(1) In order to solve the above described problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine for a ball game comprising:
a ball supply means which supplies a ball to a batting area in which a player bats;
a plurality of targets disposed in a direction of batting from the batting area;
detection means which detects a hit on the targets by a ball struck by the player; and
evaluation means which calculates a game result based on a result of the detection.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a game machine for a ball game, comprising:
a ball supply device which supplies a ball to a batting area in which a player bats;
a plurality of targets disposed in a direction of batting from the batting area;
a sensor which detects a hit on the targets by a ball struck by the player; and
an evaluation circuit which calculates a game result based on a result of the detection.
The present invention makes it possible for a player to enjoy a game of hitting supplied balls to hit targets. With a baseball-related game, by way of example, it is necessary to provide fencing and large-scale facilities to approximate to a real-life baseball-related game, but the provision of targets makes it possible to enjoy a sufficiently interesting game even when the distance from the batting area to the targets is small. This ensures that the player can enjoy an agreeable ball game within a confined space.
In addition, it makes it necessary to develop the skill of hitting targets, rather than simple full-power hitting, making it possible to provide games which are different from a batting center or the like.
Note that a ball game in this case corresponds to a game such as baseball, golf, tennis, or table-tennis. In addition, the directions of battling could be forward, obliquely, and to the sides, for example.
(2) The evaluation means may calculate a game result, based on an evaluation condition that comprises at least one of a sequence in which targets have been hit, position of a target that have been hit, sizes of targets that have been hit, the number of targets that have been hit, and the number of balls supplied.
This makes it possible to allocate different numerals to the plurality of targets, where the evaluation means calculates the game result based on the number of targets that have been hit and the number of balls supplied, by way of example. This also makes the game representation more effective. The player could declare which target he or she is aiming for, or attempt to hit all the targets with fewer balls.
(3) The game machine may further comprise means which outputs sound based on the game result calculated by the evaluation means.
This makes it possible to output sounds such as xe2x80x9cyou hit 6xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9chome runxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9cthree panels leftxe2x80x9d, making the game more interesting for the player.
(4) Furthermore, batting results may be allocated to the targets; and the evaluation means may calculate the game results, based on batting results allocated to targets that have been hit by struck balls.
In this case, a battling result indicates the result of hitting a ball. In a baseball-related game, these batting results could be xe2x80x9csingle base hitxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cdouble base hitxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ctriple base hitxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9chome runxe2x80x9d, and in a golf game they could be xe2x80x9c300 yardsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cOBxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9cbunkerxe2x80x9d, by way of example. Since the game result is affected by which targets are hit, the player can become more immersed in the game by trying to hit better targets.
(5) The game machine may further comprise means which enables a player to select one game mode from a plurality of game modes having different evaluation criteria; and the evaluation means may calculate the game result based on an evaluation criterion of the game mode selected by the player.
This enables the player to select a more interesting game mode that is different from a real-life ball game, or a game mode that is similar to a real-life ball game. The player can therefore play a game that suits the player""s own preferences, and be more satisfied thereby.
Note that in this case the game modes could be a mode in which the objective is to hit all of the targets with balls and a mode that conforms to the rules of a real-life ball game, by way of example.
In such a case, the evaluation criterion for the former mode could be based on at least one of the sequence in which targets have been hit, the positions of targets that have been hit, the sizes of targets that have been hit, the number of targets that have been hit, and the number of balls supplied, by way of example. The evaluation criterion for the latter mode could be based on the batting results displayed on targets that have been struck by balls that have been hit by the player.
The evaluation means could also base the calculation of the game result on the selection made by the player.
(6) The game machine may further comprise display control means which displays the game result calculated by the evaluation means in a predetermined display region.
This enables the player to verify the game result at a glance, and can thus always check his or her own status, which enables a game with an enhanced feeling of tension.
(7) The game machine may be a baseball-related game, and the display control means may display an on-base status in the display region, based on the game result calculated by the evaluation means.
This enables the player to base considerations of play on the current on-base status, enabling greater immersion in the game.
(8) The game machine may further comprise means which changes batting results allocated to the targets, based on the game result calculated by the-evaluation means.
This makes it possible to enable inexperienced players to enjoy the game, by changing the xe2x80x9cfoul ballxe2x80x9d targets to xe2x80x9csingle base hitxe2x80x9d in a baseball-related game, by way of example, for people who can hit only the xe2x80x9cfoul ballxe2x80x9d targets.
(9) The game machine may further comprise a batter""s box in the center of the batting area, a home base for a right-handed batter on the right side of the batter""s box, and a home base for a left-handed batter on the left side of the batter""s box;
wherein the ball supply means may supplies a ball to the home base for a right-handed batter when the player is right-handed or to the home base for a left-handed batter when the player is left-handed.
(10) According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game machine for a baseball-related game that involves hitting a ball supplied from a predetermined ball supply device, the game machine comprising:
a batter""s box in the center of a batting area, a home base for a right-handed batter on the right side of the batter""s box, and a home base for a left-handed batter on the left side of the batter""s box.
This aspect of the present invention makes it possible for both right-handed and left-handed batters to enjoy the game in a similar fashion, even in a limited space. In general, a baseball-related game machine has either a home base for right-handed batters or two batter""s boxes disposed on either side of a central home base. The former case is unfair on left-handed batters and the later case increases the space necessary therefor, because it is also necessary to provide space on both sides for follow-through after the bat has been swung.
The configuration of this aspect of the present invention makes it possible to use the follow-through space provided for right-handed batters as the batting space for a left-handed batter, and similarly use the follow-through space provided for left-handed batters as the batting space for a right-handed batter. This makes it possible to play a baseball-related game with a smaller batting area, and thus play this baseball-related game even in locations where it is not possible to ensure a sufficiently large area therefor, such as in cities.
(11) The ball supply device may supply a ball to the home base for a right-handed batter when a player is right-handed or to the home base for a left-handed batter when the player is left-handed.
This makes it possible for both left-handers and right-handers to enjoy a fair game in a limited space.
(12) The ball supply device may be configured as a single ball supply device that supplies a ball either to the home base for a right-handed batter or to the home base for a left-handed batter as specified by a player selection.
This makes it possible to create a baseball-related game within a smaller space than that required if a plurality of ball supply devices are provided.
(13) The ball supply device may include a ball supply device for a right-handed batter that supplies a ball to the home base for a right-handed batter and a ball supply device for a left-handed batter that supplies a ball to the home base for a left-handed batter.
This makes it possible to create a baseball-related game that has a simpler configuration than one in which a single ball supply device is provided and the direction in which balls are supplied varies in accordance with the batter.